The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1961, Blaðsíða 27

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
25
ol land, was considered by everyone—
sailors, explorers and scientists alike—
as devoid of life. Eskimos hunted seals
close inshore and never ventured any
great distance from land; for they too,
did not believe that life existed in the
depths of the sea.
Stefansson knew that life was pro-
lific in Arctic waters, and that
wherever plankton existed seals would
also be found and could be secured by
following Eskimo methods — which
would work just as well over deep wa-
ter as near shore. To test this theory
and to conduct geographical explor-
ations and scientific research were the
chief objectives of the new expedition.
The National Geographic Society
and the American Museum of Natural
History each subscribed $22,500, but
more was needed. He had received
Canadian support for the previous
expedition and he thought Canada
might be interested in this one too.
He therefore went to Ottawa and
found that Sir Robert Borden, the
Prime Minister, was eager to have his
government assume the entire responsi-
bility — if the American sponsors
would withdraw. This was easily ar-
ranged, and in April, 1913, the Canad-
ian Arctic Expediton, Vilhjalmur Stef-
ansson commanding, came into being.
The expedition was divided into two
sections, a northern one under Stefans-
son’s direct command, to conduct
exploration and scientific investiga-
tion in the Beaufort Sea; and a sou-
thern section which would conduct
surveys and research along the Arctic
coast of Canada and in adjacent areas.
Before the transfer, Stefansson had of-
fered the post of second-in-commnd to
Anderson, who had accepted. After
Canada took over, personnel for the
southern section was recruited largely
from the staff of the Geographical
Survey of Canada, of which Anderson
had become a member.
As the main ship of the expedition,
Stefansson selected the whaler Karlulc,
familiar to him in previous years. As
her skipper, he chose Captain C. T.
Pedersen, also well-known to him. Ped-
ersen resigned because he feared that
he might be required to renounce his
U.S. citizenship if he took command
of a Canadian government ship. Stef-
ansson then appointed Captain “Bob”
Bartlett, for many years Admiral
Peary’s sailing-master. This change in
captains was to have tragic conse-
quences.
The Karluk, after outfitting at Es-
quimau, B. C., went on to Nome, Al-
aska, to complete its loading and was
joined there by two smaller vessels ac-
quired for the southern section; and
late in July (1913) the three ships,
heavily laden, sailed northward, but
storms and drifting ice soon separated
them and they never got together
again.
Steaming up the Alaskan coast, Stef-
ansson explained to Bartlett the dif-
ference between the sailing-practices
there and those in Atlantic waters
where the farther from shore a ship
can sail the looser the ice becomes,
while the reverse is the case in Alaska.
Generally it was possible to keep
to narrow lanes of shallow water be-
tween the grounded floes and the
shore. In some places, protected “la-
goons” were formed by reefs and is-
lands. Bartlett pooh-poohed such cau-
tion, suggesting that Alaskan skippers
were a timid lot. Proceeding thus, the
Karluk had reached Cross Island,
where her progress was halted by ice
ahead. In such circumstances the usual
procedure was to wait patiently for
an off-shore wind.
The ship was at anchor when Stef-
ansson went below to sleep, but he was